


Hands are Tied, and Clocks are Ticking

by terramous



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [12]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Angst, Home Invasion, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Whump, theres guns, theres kids who in many instances have no idea what they're doing, theres knives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:41:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28605393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terramous/pseuds/terramous
Summary: So, with the practiced skill of a teenager who had snuck out all too often, TK peeled the blankets off of him and slid one leg out of the bed feeling around for the floor.And then he heard it.There was low talking and footsteps coming from outside of the bedroom, somewhere else in the house. It wasn’t Carlos, TK was sure of that, his boyfriend was asleep in the bed next to him.💕TK and Carlos' night gets a little derailed by the presence of two intruders in their house, and one of them is armed
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1775494
Comments: 15
Kudos: 147
Collections: 9-1-1 Lone Star ▶ Carlos Reyes / Tyler Kennedy "TK" Strand





	Hands are Tied, and Clocks are Ticking

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Annide](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annide/gifts).



> ac requested "11 for the caretaker dialogue prompts? Please. 💙"
> 
> happy birthday [ac](https://acejuddryder.tumblr.com/) i hope you like this fic!!!
> 
> bad things happen bingo square: bound and gagged  
> caretaker dialogue prompts - #11 “I know you can’t talk, but I want you to know that I’m not going anywhere.”
> 
> this fic... i thought 3.5k was going to be a stretch..... turns out that was _not_ the case

When TK woke up he realised two things: that it was still dark, far too early to be awake, and that his mouth was so dry. He just wanted to drink some water and snuggle back into Carlos’ side, and sleep until their alarms went off. 

Reaching blindly for the glass he knew was on the nightstand, TK suppressed a groan when he seized it only to find it empty. He was either going to have to ignore how thirsty he was and go back to sleep, or get up and refill his cup whilst trying not to wake Carlos. 

Carlos tended to fall asleep very easily, it was one quality TK was jealous of as it took him a lot of tossing and turning before unconsciousness took pity on him while Carlos was snoring before his head even hit the pillow. But Carlos was also a very light sleeper, constantly on alert and if he woke up, he could never get back to sleep. 

TK learned that the hard way the first few nights he stayed over. If he was too loud getting out of bed to go to the bathroom, Carlos would shoot awake. Even after TK was back in bed and on the verge of sleep, Carlos sat next to him, quietly scrolling through his phone as if it wasn’t four in the morning. “You can go back to sleep,” he had said in that comforting and soft voice of his, ruffling TK’s hair absently. When TK woke the next morning, Carlos was already bustling around the kitchen, having not gone back to sleep the night before. 

So, with the practiced skill of a teenager who had snuck out all too often, TK peeled the blankets off of him and slid one leg out of the bed feeling around for the floor. 

And then he heard it.

There was low talking and footsteps coming from outside of the bedroom, somewhere else in the house. It wasn’t Carlos, TK was sure of that, his boyfriend was asleep in the bed next to him. 

Still stunned, TK didn’t dare move other than to slide his hand across the mattress until he connected with Carlos’ back. His boyfriend didn’t stir so TK eventually grasped his shoulder and gave him a gentle shake, hoping that Carlos would wake easily.

He was met with a low groan.

“Carlos,” TK said, his voice barely above a whisper, too afraid to make any noise. His fingertips were gripping tightly onto Carlos’ arm before the other even peeled his eyes open.

Carlos clearly heard the fear in the way TK said his name. Sitting up carefully and reaching out for TK, he curled his fingers around TK’s shaking ones. It wasn’t unusual for TK to wake him when he was having a bad night or couldn’t shake a nightmare. It was muscle memory for TK to find comfort in Carlos’ touch, but this time TK jolted at the contact.

“TK, what’s wrong?”

“There’s someone in the house.”

“What?” Carlos asked, stiffening, more alert now than he was a few seconds ago. “Are you sure?”

The crashing noise from somewhere in the house answered that question. Carlos and TK were both in bed, and TK didn’t recall Carlos recently adopting a cat. 

TK could almost see Carlos snap into work-mode. In one fluid motion Carlos was out of the bed and pressing his phone into TK’s hand. TK always charged his phone in the kitchen, and at this point in time he would’ve appreciated the convenience of having his dad on speed-dial right now. 

“Call for help.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m just gonna check it out.”

“What? Are you fucking crazy?”

TK knew Carlos had been trained for this exact scenario. One of the pros of dating a police officer, he figured, though he would much rather his boyfriend stay here by his side. At least here, they could stay safe together and figure this out. But with the way Carlos was already sliding a shirt over his head, he knew there was no talking him out of it at this point.

“What about your gun?” TK asked, figuring at least Carlos could take some precautions if he insisted on checking out the source of the commotion.

Carlos shook his head. “It’s probably just kids who don’t think anyone is home. They’ll get spooked if I have a weapon. If I can sort this out before the police get here then they won’t have to live with their decisions tonight for the rest of their lives.”

“Carlos, what if they’re armed?”

The idea of someone carrying around a weapon in the middle of his and Carlos’ shared home was enough to shove TK’s heart into his throat and stomach simultaneously. It ripped in half as Carlos tried to creep closer and closer to the door. He didn’t want him to go. TK couldn’t guarantee his safety like he could when they were together. Carlos would be alone, tired, and intimidating enough to warrant a bullet through his head if any intruder caught a glimpse of him. TK was absolutely horrified that if Carlos walked out that door, he may never come back. _“Please.”_

“I’ll be fine,” Carlos whispered, pressing a kiss to TK’s lips before slinking away into the darkness. He didn’t seem bothered that TK didn’t reciprocate the kiss. He just continued on his way.

“Carlos!” TK whispered, desperate to scream at Carlos until he listened and stayed by TK’s side, yet knowing that making a sound beyond what the two of them could hear meant they would be discovered. 

“It’s gonna be okay.”

TK could only stare at the door as Carlos slipped through it and out into the uncertain territory beyond their bedroom. He wanted to follow Carlos, to stick by his side in case something happened but he knew he needed to call 911.

So with shaking hands that he couldn’t steady, TK pressed the three numbers that had been ingrained into his head since he was young enough to know what they meant. 

_“911, what’s your emergency?”_

TK wasn’t sure whether he was relieved that it wasn’t Grace on the other line or not. On one hand, he could really use her comforting voice and the way she always knew how to ease his mind, but if she was listening, he wasn’t entirely convinced he would be able to keep his composure. 

“This is TK Strand, firehouse 126. There’s someone in my house.”

_“Alright TK, I’m Zach. Are you sure there’s an intruder?”_

“Unless it’s a family of really big raccoons, there’s definitely someone.”

_“Are you alone in the house, TK?”_

“No, my boyfriend is here- or he was. He went to check it out even though I told him not to. He’s APD, Officer Carlos Reyes.”

_“Alright TK, I want you to stay where you are. Can you tell me the address?”_

TK prattled off the address, barely even paying attention to the phone call. He instead listened for any clue as to what was going on outside of the bedroom. 

_“TK?”_

“Hmm?”

_“Where are you in the house?”_

“The bedroom.”

_“Is there a closet or something that you can hide in until the police arrive?”_

“Yeah…” TK was about to get out of the bed when he heard a loud pop that made his blood run cold. 

A gunshot.

He waited to hear something else, but only an eerie silence filled the space. 

_“TK? Are you still there?”_

“Y-yeah. That was a gunshot. I need to check it out.”

_“TK, medical is being dispatched to the scene, I advise that you hide in the closet until help arrives. Is Officer Reyes armed?”_

“No he isn’t.” TK shook his head. “Carlos could be hurt. I have to help him,” TK said bluntly. 

_“TK-”_ against everything he was ever taught, he hung up the call before Zach could finish.

Theoretically, TK could grab Carlos’ gun. He knew where it was stored, and he knew how to hold it. But he didn’t know how to use it and even if he did, he couldn’t shoot someone. Having a gun that he couldn’t use could make the situation where someone else has a gun much worse. 

As best he could, TK tried to be both fast and quiet as he crept through the house. But the silence following the gunshot made his heart race. Carlos could be bleeding out, he could already be dead. Help wasn’t coming fast enough. 

Maybe if he bargained with them, they’d leave. They could have the TV, his phone, his wallet, anything they wanted if they left him and Carlos alone. If they let TK help him.

Only, he did not get the chance to help. He didn’t sense the presence of a figure behind him until he felt the hard blow to the back of his head, followed by a wave of blackness that overtook his vision. 

When TK opened his eyes, he was upright and he could see Carlos was tied to a chair. It was a dining room chair, seemingly stable, sturdy, but with Carlos stuck, struggling against it, TK could hear the wood creak just a little. He almost laughed to himself. How could the creakiness of the chair be the first thing he noticed when the rest of Carlos’ home was almost unrecognizable? Furniture and clothing had been torn from their resting places and strewn across the floor. Hell, there were throw pillows halfway into the kitchen and some of Carlos’ dishes had been broken at their feet as well.

Tk couldn’t care less. He needed to get to Carlos.

However, he discovered, after a few experimental wiggles, that so was he. 

Which was bad news. Definitely less than ideal.

Carlos was watching him with wide eyes. TK was far too used to Carlos’ unwavering level headedness in the face of, well, everything. But Carlos being scared was new. He was visibly shaking. TK could practically feel his lover's racing pulse from his place in the chair; angry… afraid. That was enough to make TK’s blood run cold.

There was blood flowing from his nose, red sinking into the gag in his mouth. It was one of Carlos’ fancy blue cloth serviettes he reserved for date nights and other special occasions. 

As Carlos noticed that TK was indeed conscious, his shoulders sagged a little in relief, his dark eyes scanning TK with renewed energy as if he hadn’t been doing that the whole time. 

He said something, muffled by the gag that sounded kind of like “are you okay?”

TK nodded hurriedly, trying to ignore the wave of dizziness that came over him. He turned his focus instead to Carlos, running a practiced eye over his boyfriend, looking for any sign of injury. There had been a gunshot before, he knew that. Carlos could be hurt. 

A few moments later he was satisfied that Carlos was not, in fact, bleeding out and turned his efforts to figuring out exactly what the hell had happened. 

While the scene around him was filled with chaos, the culprits of the mess were nowhere to be seen. Something that while he was grateful for at first, also filled his stomach with anxiety, wondering what exactly they were up to. 

He could hear hushed voices coming from one of the rooms down the hall, though he couldn’t exactly make out what they were saying. The thought of strangers going through all of his and Carlos’ personal belongings made him sick to his stomach. 

He locked eyes again with Carlos, who was still clearly freaked out by the situation. Seeing Carlos so scared did nothing to ease TK’s anxiety. He wanted nothing more than to break free from the ties that bound him and wrap his arms around his boyfriend, telling him that it was going to be okay.

But nothing about this was okay.

And the more he pulled against his restraints, the more he panicked he felt realizing that he can’t move at all.

He tried to swallow the panic, knowing that it did nothing to resolve the situation. When he glanced over at Carlos again, he noticed this time that his boyfriend was also pulling against his restraints. And fortunately for him, he appeared to be having more luck. While the ropes holding TK in place were tied so tight that he felt it was going to cut off circulation, Carlos’ were growing visibly looser with each tug. 

“Carlos,” TK tried to get his attention, though with the gag still in place it came out muffled. 

It still got Carlos’ attention, but the other man did not reply. Instead he shook his head, and continued shaking his head until TK fell silent, watching him cautiously. 

TK watched as the ropes lost all their tension around Carlos. He took a deep breath without the restriction around his chest, removed his gag and untied his feet. In a few seconds, that simultaneously felt like an instant and a lifetime, Carlos was kneeling in front of TK and quickly undoing the ties around his ankles when he froze. 

There were people talking, the sound of their voices coming closer.

“It’ll be easy to just get out with what we have.”

“We should take the TV.”

“That’s too big. It’ll take too long and we’re more likely to get caught. Phones, wallets, cash, jewellery. Small but valuable.”

TK whimpered, jerking his head towards the front door. “Go,” he pleaded through the cloth in his mouth and hoping the look in his eyes conveyed his message. He knew Carlos understood what he meant when his boyfriend just shook his head.

“You have to go,” TK begged through muffled pleas as the tightness around his ankles disappeared. Carlos had two options, leave and get help, or stay with TK. If he left he could get away from the danger and get a neighbour to call 911 and let them know the specifics of the situation. If he stayed there was no telling what the intruders would do to him. His gun was still shut away in the safe at the bottom of the closet, and the gunshot TK heard earlier was not imaginary. 

“I know you can’t talk, but I want you to know that I’m not going anywhere.”

“Go!” he tried to scream.

Carlos shook his head. 

TK could see the gears turning as Carlos tried to figure out what he was going to do. TK wanted to scream in frustration. Carlos was wasting precious seconds, He needed to leave to get them help. 

He needed to leave so TK would know that he was safe. 

“Carlos,” he tried again but he cut off as he saw that their conversation had not gone unnoticed. He froze, desperately trying to figure out a way for Carlos to leave, for him to escape before the chance was gone, even as he saw one of the robbers approaching.

He tried to warn Carlos, but it was too late. Carlos turned around, only to come face-to-face with the barrel of the gun in the shaking hands of one of the robbers.

TK to his credit, tried his best to remain calm. He knew that freaking out would only spook the already scared suspect. But how could he not?

There was a gun pointed at Carlos’ head.

Carlos froze, his hands in the air, palms facing the intruders as he stared down the barrel of the gun. TK wanted to scream, or cry, he wasn’t sure. All he was sure of, was that there was a gun and Carlos was on the wrong end of it.

Despite everything, it was a slight relief that Carlos was the one in that situation. He’d been trained for guns and everything else that could possibly help them both get out of this situation alive. TK, on the other hand, with his previous experience of being shot, wouldn’t be able to stay nearly as calm as Carlos was.

“It looks like we’ve got a slippery one,” the intruder with the gun crooned. He couldn’t be more than eighteen and he was tall, possibly even taller than Carlos had they both been standing, but lanky in the way most teen boys were. This was a kid with floppy blond hair, homework due on Monday, and a gun aimed at Carlos. 

His brunet companion was shorter, and possibly even younger. Where the blond boy gave Carlos a look that was almost sinister, the other boy was very withdrawn and scared. TK could easily bet that the blond was the more experienced of the two, the one who said not to bother with stealing the TV so they could get out and get away with it. 

“Just take what you want and go. Leave me and my friend alone,” Carlos tried to plead with them.

TK blood ran cold at the unmistakable sound of the safety being clicked off.

“And why would we do that?”

“Please,” Carlos said, his tone still even and professional, but his eyes drifting from the gun to look at TK a few times. “I just want to go back to sleep and forget this ever happened. No one else needs to get hurt.”

“It’s too late for that,” the ringleader said. His voice had lost its steel as emotions flooded through the cracks in his facade. Carlos’ expression gave no hint that he noticed, but there was no doubt in TK’s mind that he had caught on. These kids were scared, the false bravado put on by the blond kid had been pretty convincing thus far, but TK suspected that the reality of the situation was dawning on him. After all, he had a gun pointed at Carlos’ head. 

“No, it’s not. You can go, we don’t want trouble, we don’t want to go to the police.”

“No. No, it’s too late.” The kid’s voice cracked. “You’ve seen our faces. We can’t go to jail.”

“You don’t have to. We didn’t see anything.”

Carlos knew it as well as TK did. Despite how calm and non-threatening Carlos was trying to be, he was still a big, intimidating guy. There was no way that these kids were going to stop seeing him as a threat. Their weapons were their only insurance that they weren’t going to get hurt and TK understood that but he just wished that didn’t mean Carlos had to be in danger.

If both of them were unarmed, Carlos would be the one in charge of the situation, but that small weapon made all the difference. The kid standing over Carlos was so scrawny that Buttercup could take him in a fight, but that gun in his hand meant that in the briefest flash, in a mere second, he could be a killer. 

TK knew what would happen if that gun fired. Blood would splatter on the wall, Carlos would fall, and TK would truly learn what it had been like for everyone else when he had been on the receiving end of a bullet. 

His father still had nightmares. Carlos not-so-subtly insisted on entering rooms before TK. 

Though he still jumped whenever a car backfired, TK had lived. He’d made a full recovery. 

Carlos could die. 

“You knocked him out,” Carlos said, his voice still calm and soft, almost reassuring. He tilted his head slightly towards TK who took a few seconds to realise the focus had been shifted onto him. “I want to make sure he’s okay. I don’t care what you take, just leave us be.”

“In case you hadn’t noticed,” the blond kid said, brandishing the gun for emphasis, “I’m in charge here, so stop talking.”

Where the blond kid, the obvious leader of their whole endeavour, was still standing his ground against Carlos, his companion stood back, his eyes anxiously scanning the room. He and TK met gazes for a moment, and TK saw so much fear in that kid’s face. It was obvious that this wasn’t his idea, he didn’t know what he was getting himself into or how far his friend was willing to go. 

TK kind of felt bad for him. These were just kids, and sure, TK didn’t break into anyone’s house and threaten them with a gun when he was a troubled teen, but he made so many terrible decisions on the account of not thinking them through that he knew what this kid was trying to wrap his head around.

It was the same as TK’s first boyfriend handing him a few pills and saying they’d take the edge off and it taking only two weeks for TK to wake up in the hospital, having taken too many. If he had never met Josh, he would have never ruined his life. 

Being young and impressionable, and eager to prove he was more grown up than he really was, turned out to be TK’s undoing. As it probably was for the kid in front of him, pulling at the edges of his hoodie as his friend took things above and beyond what he had initially agreed to.

The brunet kid wasn’t prepared for this, TK knew as much when the kid turned away from him and he spotted not only the name of a school on the shoulder of his hoodie, but the five letters stamped across the base of his back. CASEY.

If they survived this ordeal, that one hoodie gave TK more information than he could hope for. That would be the downfall of these kids. Not only had both TK and Carlos seen their faces, but they had a highschool and a name to follow up with.

Carlos broke TK’s focus from the younger kid- Casey, presumably- by speaking again. “His phone is on the counter in the kitchen. Mine is in the bedroom, as is my wallet. His isn’t here, he leaves it at home. Just take whatever and go, we don’t want any trouble.”

TK could practically see the gears ticking in Carlos’ head as the kid didn’t show any sign of taking the offer. They were in too deep and although TK had no doubt that his boyfriend would just let them leave if it meant no one having to get hurt, those kids didn’t know that. He could only hope that his boyfriend wasn’t going to do anything rash.

Of course, his hope was, well, hopeless. 

Time seemed to slow as the kids regarded Carlos cautiously and TK watched as Carlos’ posture moved ever so slightly, poised like a viper ready to strike. In that moment it was so silent, TK could’ve sworn he would be able to hear a pin drop, or the sound of a car driving a few streets over. It was quiet in the same way the ocean retreats before racing back with vengeance and a wall of water that destroys everything. 

As it turns out, Carlos Reyes, president of “please be careful” and “try not to get yourself killed” when TK so much as got a paper cut, was just as much of a reckless idiot as his boyfriend was.

In a flurry of motion, Carlos was on his feet and grabbing for the gun. 

It was clear, to TK at least, that Carlos wasn’t prepared for this. It wasn’t like when he was charging into a scene, bulletproof vest donned and gun drawn, this was a desperate, last-ditch attempt to save their lives. 

If Carlos had successfully gained control of the situation then they would have been safe. 

But they couldn’t get that lucky.

A gunshot pierced the chaos, the sound of it sinking through TK like the bullet would have had the gun been aimed at him. He’d been shot once and he wasn’t eager to repeat the experience. 

The gun had gone off without much warning or aim, and Carlos was on the ground, the wind stripped from his sails as he lay there with his face contorted in pain. The red stain growing on his shoulder, almost crudely mimicking where TK’s own scar was placed, told TK all he needed to know. Things had gone from bad to worse in the time it took for a finger to put too much pressure on the trigger. 

Peeling himself off the floor with a strength TK couldn’t fathom having with a bullet in his shoulder, Carlos backed away from the gun as the blond boy slowly walked towards him. His hand was shaking as he directed Carlos until the officer was backed against the wall. 

His breathing was ragged as sweat shined on his skin. His eyes, wild and utterly terrified were locked on the gun.

It was some kind of sick power play. Carlos had given them everything they wanted and still there was a gun pointed at him by a kid who clearly didn’t care about who he was going to hurt. Hell, Carlos was already hurt.

TK felt all the air sucked out of him as the kid forced Carlos to the ground. Carlos obliged until he was lying face down on the hardwood floor. He slowly turned his head to face TK, locking eyes with him which only added to the sense of helplessness he felt. He wanted nothing more than to get up and help, but the restraints prevented him from even moving a muscle. Another flash of pain ran across Carlos' face as the kid pressed him down harder, digging his boot into Carlos' already wounded shoulder. 

Carlos let out a desperate whine, the fresh bullet wound was undoubtedly beyond unbearable on its own. The added torment had TK hoping that Carlos could just pass out from the pain so he wouldn’t have to feel it. What was taking the police so long? TK would’ve thought they’d come to their rescue by now, maybe hanging up on Zach was a bad idea. At least now, someone would call about the gunshot. 

Or that’s what TK was hoping would happen. Surely the one earlier would have woken people up, but that was never going to guarantee that someone would call 911 about it, likely they assumed someone else would and went back to sleep. But there was the soft light of morning light that TK could see outside the window, basking everything in a blue glow.

If the neighbours weren’t already stirring with the light of the dawn spilling through the curtains, the gunshot definitely did the trick. It was unmistakable. Hopefully someone was half-asleep, perhaps steeping their morning cup of tea as the gunshot shattered through the ambience of the sunrise, and they were now on the phone with an operator who could send help. Even a wellness check would be enough for TK at this point. 

However, he wasn’t sure if Carlos could last until then.

This kid, however lanky and non-threatening he was initially, was downright menacing at this point. Which was weird, TK had never been afraid of a kid before outside of when he was a kid himself. But this kid, who was scared only moments ago, was fuelled by anger as he loomed over Carlos. 

And TK thought he had issues in his youth. 

“You know someone is gonna call the cops, right?” Carlos said through grit teeth. “Gunshots are loud.”

The blonde kid looked up, locking eyes with his accomplice. They both appeared to process Carlos’ statement, considering their options before he turned his attention back to Carlos and digging his boot further into Carlos’ shoulder. “You’re lying. You’re just trying to distract me.” 

Carlos winced in pain, yet he continued to try and reason with the duo. “If you go now, they probably won’t catch you. If you’re fast enough you’ll be long gone before they get here.”

“Why are you trying to help us? I shot you!”

“You’re kids. Kids make mistakes.”

“I’m-” the blond kid tightened his hold on the gun, jabbing it accusingly in Carlos’ direction. “I’m not a kid.”

“Just go.”

“Sam, we should go,” Casey said, the first time he had spoken in what seemed like hours to TK.

“Why? Just so they tell the cops about us? They’ve already seen our faces and now they know my name, you idiot!” The blond kid, Sam, snapped. He turned his attention back to Carlos, his hand shaking as he pointed the gun at his head. “We have to kill them.”

Casey stepped forward for the first time, leaving the safety and anonymity of the wall behind, “I didn’t agree to murder Sam. You said we would just be making a quick buck. You said no one would get hurt!.”

“That was before.”

“Before what? This isn’t what I agreed to, Sam!”

“Would you _stop saying my name!”_

“He’s right Sam, you don’t have to do this. If you do it’s only going to be worse for you.” 

TK’s gaze flew back to Carlos, who was trying to pull himself up more, gaze steady and on Sam. 

“You can walk away from this Sam, really,” he continued, pausing to suck in a sharp breath as he undoubtedly aggravated his wound. “It doesn’t have to play out like this, Sam.”

“Don’t say that,”

“Say what?” Carlos asked, his tone still not giving away any emotion as he spoke to Sam. He was doing remarkably well at handling the situation given his current condition but TK couldn’t shake the feeling that it was only getting worse from here. Sam was getting more jumpy and aggressive with every word spoken and he still had the power over everyone else.

“My name! Stop using my name!” 

TK watched the scene with mounting horror. It was like he was watching in slow motion, like he could see the gears turning in Sam’s head, like he could see the moment he snapped. 

Like he could see the countdown before the bomb detonated.

_Three._

Sam took a step closer to Carlos, whether it was his white-knuckle grip or the rage rolling off of him in waves making his hand unsteady, TK wasn’t sure. Carlos met his eyes for a brief flash and in that moment, TK wished he couldn’t read his lover’s face so easily. Where Carlos had been scared earlier, terrified and in agony minutes ago, he just looked sad now. It was the same look he gave TK when the other man offhandedly mentioned the things he had struggled with in the past. The look that told TK that Carlos would do anything to be able to spare him that pain but a resignation to the fact that he could not change anything. 

_Two._

Carlos’ eyes shot back to the gun as Sam drew closer yet again. “You don’t want to do this Sam,” he said softly, “if you do, there’s no going back.”

Sam ignored him and raised the gun again and TK didn’t know whether to close his eyes or never look away. He frantically searched for Carlos’ eyes, he needed to see them, needed him to know...but at the last moment, another voice interrupted. 

“Sam! Don’t!” 

It was Casey, stepping closer to his friend with a nervous look on his face. 

“You want to get out of this, right?” he asked, “You heard what they said before - gunshots are loud. You can’t fire that again. Once maybe people think they are hearing things, but twice? Someone is definitely going to call the cops.”

Sam turned his head towards Casey, the gun not shifting in aim. “Do you still have the pocket knife I gave you yesterday?” 

_One._

Casey pulled the knife out of his pocket with shaking hands and TK knew what was coming before Sam took a step forward to grab it from him. His only solace was that Sam handed the gun off to Casey, who stashed it in his hoodie pocket in a flash, as if he was eager to remove it from his friend’s line of sight. 

Whatever relief he left at the absence of the gun soon faded as Sam took a few steps towards Carlos, knife open and clenched in his hand and rage in his eyes. 

If Carlos hadn’t been shot, this would have been the perfect opportunity for him to take control. But he had been. The red patch on his shoulder was spreading and he was looking more and more pale as time went on. Hell, he could barely even hold himself up anymore. 

TK’s training, as much as he wished that sometimes it would just shut off, screamed at him: hypovolemic shock. He couldn’t do anything about it. He wasn’t Carlos, he couldn’t get out of his restraints, he couldn’t stay calm in the face of a gun aimed at him. Carlos was trained for this situation, he was their best bet of surviving, and they were both going to die here, in Carlos’ kitchen, in the home they shared. It was supposed to be the home they stayed in together for years to come, perhaps even the home that had lines on the doorframe as they raised a kid. And they were going to die here before those dreams could even begin. 

TK sought Carlos’ eyes. He wanted to see them one last time, even if he knew Carlos should keep his eyes on the assailant. At this point, what did it matter?

It was going to take a miracle for them to make it out of this. 

Carlos smiled when their eyes met. 

_Boom._

Before TK could even take a breath, Sam was moving, dropping to the ground, lashing out in Carlos’ direction with the blade. 

And TK screamed. He tugged against his restraints, desperate to get to Carlos, to protect him. What was he going to do even if he got free? Sam had a knife and no qualms about using it, and Casey’s hands were tucked into his hoodie pocket where he had stashed the gun. It was hopeless but he couldn’t give up. 

He couldn’t hear if Carlos screamed too, or if they were saying anything, the only sound in his ears was his own desperate pleas for Sam to stop. He was crying now, hot tears running their paths down his face, catching as they soaked into the gag still tied around his mouth, but he paid them no mind. 

As he stopped screaming for a moment to catch his breath, he swore the room was spinning, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was Carlos as Sam wouldn’t stop shoving the blade at him. There was blood everywhere. TK would never be able to get it out of his memory, the rapidly growing pool on the floor, the splatters on Carlos, Sam, and the wall. 

Carlos had already been bleeding too much, and TK could no longer tell if he was moving or not. What good did it do to stab a corpse? But he guessed Sam wanted to be certain Carlos was actually dead.

Carlos. Dead.

Just the concept of it made TK lightheaded, the reality of it was beyond anything he could fathom. He just wished they’d hurry up and kill him so he didn’t have to process the idea of Carlos being dead. 

Carlos who had reluctantly agreed to yet another movie marathon the night before, where they cuddled on the couch and he ran his fingers through TK’s hair. With his ear pressed to Carlos’ chest, TK had heard the steady thrum of his heartbeat for hours, lulling TK into a doze until Carlos eventually declared that it was time for bed. 

Carlos who bustled around the kitchen singing to the vegetables as he chopped them, ignoring the fact that TK was watching, falling more in love with the other man than he even thought possible.

Carlos who had become his whole world in such a short amount of time. TK couldn’t lose him. 

Casey heard it before the rest of them did, turning his head towards the street, his eyes blown wide as he took a few steps back.

“Sam-”

Above his screams, TK noticed the familiar screech of sirens. To him they had never felt like answered prayers, a last saving grace, but finally it seemed that this nightmare would end. 

Hastily, Sam stood up and grabbed Casey by his hood with a bloody hand- his other still tightly clenching the knife- and he tugged the other kid towards the back of the house, away from the carnage they had left. 

When they were gone, TK allowed himself to fall apart. He was tied up, alone with Carlos who wasn’t moving. There was so much blood, he wouldn’t have known it was his boyfriend beneath it all if not for the fact that he watched it happen.

He almost wished they’d taken the time to kill him before they fled. 

Even as the sirens grew louder and salvation came closer, TK’s eyes were trained on Carlos, looking for any sign of life as he wondered why Sam couldn’t have taken the gun and fired it between his eyes. Then he wouldn’t have to sit here, alive and unharmed while Carlos was almost certainly dead.

He couldn’t bear to live without Carlos and yet they couldn’t have shown him just that shred of mercy. After everything, didn’t he deserve it?

He heard the door open behind him, his eyes still trained on Carlos who hadn't moved. Marjan and Paul beeline for Carlos, Michelle and her crew hot on their tail. TK watched, and tried to listen for any sign that Carlos was okay, tried to figure out what they could do to help him. 

Until a familiar set of blue eyes blocked his vision. 

“TK.”

“Dad,” he wanted to say, but the word was muffled by his gag. Where it had initially felt tight, he’d been screaming enough with it that he didn’t notice it much anymore. Frankly, he didn’t care, he just wanted to see if Carlos was okay. 

Owen waved someone over and the gag fell from his mouth. 

“Dad,” TK sobbed. 

His father was about to speak but as the ties around TK’s torso loosened, he pitched forward bonelessly and onto Owen, who despite being on his knees, was not prepared for the additional weight.

Suddenly, a sound broke through the chaos, a low, pained groan. Carlos was _alive._

TK struggled against his father’s hold, he needed nothing more than to be with Carlos, to see for himself that the man he loved wasn’t dead. He needed to know that they had both survived this ordeal.

“I need to help him,” TK mumbled into his father’s shoulder. He lifted his head to see the crowd of paramedics and firefighters around Carlos. Michelle barked out orders left and right as she worked on Carlos. 

“Let them work, TK. They can handle this. What about you, are you okay?”

Owen didn’t really need to ask as darkness swamped TK’s vision and he felt his head, suddenly weighing the whole world, drop. 

There was a strong grip on his chin, lifting his head to meet his father’s scared, yet stern eyes. “TK. TK, look at me.”

He tried, he blinked up at his dad, but didn’t really process anything he was seeing. He just needed to get to Carlos, to make sure he was going to be okay. “I need to help him.”

“And you will. But you gotta stay awake for me, kid.”

TK could vaguely feel something on the back of his head, someone’s hand?

“He’s got a head wound, Cap.” TK would recognise that deep Southern drawl anywhere. Judd was there. Why wasn’t he helping with Carlos?

He didn’t really have time to think too much about that. He was so tired, and it was becoming more and more of a chore to keep his eyelids open the harder he tried to. 

Could it really be so bad if he closed them for a few seconds?

“You’re not falling asleep on me right now, kid.” The stern hint to his dad’s tone was gone now as TK felt someone tapping at his face. “C’mon TK, you gotta stay awake.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled, not sure if it was just in his head or not. He couldn’t even find the strength to open his eyes again, let alone to speak. 

It took the last of his energy to wedge his eyes open, to look at his dad again. The captain’s eyes were shining with unshed tears but he smiled at TK when they locked gazes.

“Yeah kid, you’re doing great. Just stay awake for me.”

TK felt the ghost of a smile grace his lips as the darkness pulled him back under.

💕

Blinking slowly, TK let out a groan. It only took him a second to realise where he was. And only one more to feel the full force of what was easily his worst headache to date. 

“Are you back with me, kid?”

“Dad?” TK asked, opening his eyes more now. 

The details of the night came back to him like a tidal wave crashing ashore. A menagerie of gunshots, rope burn, headaches, Carlos covered in blood and not moving. TK’s breath picked up, as did his heart rate as he let out the only question he could think to ask. “Where’s Carlos?”

He kicked at the blanket blindly, trying to sit up despite the wave of dizziness that did not leave him with his prior unconsciousness. 

Owen had enough foresight to leap out of his chair, letting the awful screech of its legs against the floor ring through the air as he placed a hand on each of TK’s shoulders, easing his son back until he was lying back against the elevated portion of the bed. “Take it easy. Carlos is fine. Well, as fine as he can be.”

“Can I see him?”

“After a doctor checks you out, I’m sure something can be arranged.”

TK lifted his hand, ignoring the tug of the IV in the back of it, to massage his temple. If he were to wager a guess, his headache was definitely more likely to be concussion induced than the typical stress or dehydration. Great. That was exactly what he needed.

“How bad is he?”

“Michelle texted me about an hour ago to say that he was awake and asking for you,” Owen attempted to joke, but his smile fell when he met TK’s eyes. “It was pretty bad, T. The bullet thankfully missed anything vital. There were a few cracked ribs and a broken nose and too many stab wounds but all up? It could’ve been a lot worse. He lost a lot of blood but he was in and out of surgery pretty fast. You, on the other hand, have been sleeping like a rock.”

TK looked down at his lap, cracking his fingers in an attempt to soothe his nerves. He was eager to avoid his dad’s worried gaze. He wasn’t sure what he was afraid of finding in it; fear? Disappointment? Judgement? 

“I mean, seriously? This isn’t just a mild concussion. What you’ve got is a solid head wound and four staples in your scalp.”

Owen cut TK off before he had the chance to get beyond opening his mouth, “don’t apologise, I know it’s not your fault. I’m glad you’re both okay, but I retain my right to complain about how much trouble you get yourself into.”

“I swear I don’t mean to.” TK almost instinctively scratched at the back of his head—a self soothing gesture, but his father caught on quickly and gently pulled his hand back down to his side. He gave it a gentle squeeze.

“I know you don’t. I’m still going to worry though - I’m your dad, it’s my job.”

“Mr Strand, good to see you awake,” a woman said as she walked into the room, smiling warmly at him. “I’m Dr King and I just want to check how you’re doing now that you’re awake.” 

“Happy to be awake, doc.”

She gave a ghost of a smile at his makeshift charisma, rolling her eyes and glancing at Owen before turning back to TK. “Follow my finger, you know the drill. You’ve wracked up a pretty impressive medical record.”

“I’m a firefighter.”

“Oh, I know.” Dr King titled TK’s head away from her until he was facing his dad as she undoubtedly examined the wound on the back of his head. Owen offered him a supportive thumbs up, earning himself an eye roll from his son. Making a noise of what TK hoped was satisfaction, the doctor let go of his head and scribbled on her clipboard for a few seconds. “How’s your head feeling?”

“Hurts pretty bad. Nothing I can’t handle.”

“If you want, we can up your pain relief.”

“I’ll pass. Can I see Carlos?”

Dr King laughed, “you’re eager. Once we finish up here I’ll get a nurse to sort that out for you, Mr Strand.”

“Call me TK.” He flashed a smile.

“Alright, TK, your vitals are perfect. I just want to keep you here for observation for the day, that concussion was pretty nasty.”

“What time is it? How long was I out?” 

“You arrived just before seven. It’s now-” she checked her watch “-quarter past ten.” 

“Better than the last time I was unconscious in a hospital.” TK let out a dry chuckle, hoping to lighten the mood. He saw a tiny disapproving look from his father, but it was soon covered up by a sarcastic snicker.

“I’ll say,” Owen chipped in. He clearly wasn’t going to let go of the whole coma thing anytime soon. 

Dr King made a satisfied hum before she spoke again, “shall I go and set up that visit for you?”

“That’d be wonderful, thank you,” TK said.

“Alright, it won’t be long, just sit tight,” Dr King gave his knee a pat before disappearing back into the bustling hospital.

True to her word, the nurse didn’t take long to swing by and help get TK situated in a wheelchair. Being assisted with everything wasn’t TK’s favourite but it was a better alternative than sitting in a hospital bed all day, and this way he could finally put his mind to ease. Seeing Carlos was exactly what he needed after the night they had.

“I can take him,” Owen offered with one of his five-star smiles, TK couldn’t help but to roll his eyes.

“If you need anything just yell out. Don’t overdo it.” She gave TK a stern look.

“I promise I’ll behave,” he cowered back, just a little, but still kept a reserved smirk on his face.

Owen snickered from behind TK. “Can I get that in writing?”

TK tried to scowl at his dad, but it faded into a wince that he tried to hide when the movement hurt his head. Owen must have noticed his discomfort because he stopped his teasing and gave him a reassuring squeeze of the shoulder instead. 

“Let’s see if we can get there without any incident,” he quipped as he took the wheelchair from the nurse and guided it into the hallway. 

Carlos was talking avidly with an officer in uniform when Owen wheeled TK into the space. He caught the tail end of a sentence as Carlos ran a hand through his hair.

“...they were wearing masks, I really don’t remember enough of anything else. I don’t think we’re going to have much luck catching them.” 

That was when TK got to drink in the sight of Carlos, he got to relish in the visual confirmation that the man he loved was alive and safe. Despite the hospital gown, wires, monitors, and bandages peeking out from every angle, Carlos was sitting up and despite the occasional wince at tugged stitches, he seemed fine. 

Carlos looked up as the wheelchair squeaked against the linoleum. 

“TK,” he breathed, a smile lighting up his face. For a moment it was easy to pretend that this was normal, that they weren’t in a hospital, that Carlos hadn’t almost died only a few short hours before.

“Hey, sweetheart.” TK motioned for his father to bring him in a little closer. Seeing Carlos, at this point, wasn’t enough. He wanted to reach for him; grab his hand and tell him everything was okay, because, well, _it_ was. It was okay in the fact that they were both alive, staring at each other with their dopey grins, even while both of them were about two jostles away from eternal suffering. They were with each other, able to smile and touch and not stare at each other from across the room. 

Carlos was okay, and that? That made TK smile.

“I’m glad you’re awake. You kept me waiting.”

“I needed a nap.” TK’s words were playful, but he could practically see his father roll his eyes behind him. He ignored it anyway.

“You deserved it.”

“You think they remember we’re in the room?” The officer - TK vaguely remembered being introduced to him as Carlos’ partner, Officer Nathan Lovell - asked in a staged whisper. 

“Definitely not,” Owen replied. 

“Well when you’re being that loud, how could we ever forget?” Carlos sniped, chuckling as he met TK’s eyes again. It was so nice to be able to do that without fear that it would be their last opportunity to do so.

Officer Lovell turned to TK, flipping to a new pad in his notepad and clicking his pen almost aggressively. TK had entirely forgotten why Carlos’ partner was there in the first place, it wasn’t just checking in on his friend, it was work. "Hey TK, while you're here - is there anything you remember that could help us figure out the identity of the intruders?"

“Uh,” TK quickly met Carlos’ eyes. 

His boyfriend softly shook his head and mouthed an almost desperate “please”.

“No, I didn’t really catch any details. In fact, the night is still quite blurry for me, y’know, head wound,” TK shrugged, gesturing lamely to his head, hoping that it would be enough to satisfy the officer.

Nathan smiled at him sadly. “That’s okay, just let me know if you remember anything later on. Feel better soon,” he paused to give Carlos an accusatory look, “both of you.”

Owen cleared his throat rather awkwardly, but TK silently thanked him for sparing him the concerned gaze of Carlos’ partner, he wasn’t sure how long he could take it. 

“Officer, why don’t I buy you a cup of coffee?” he offered, patting TK’s shoulder. “It would be my pleasure. I’m sure you’ve had a busy morning.”

“Not as busy as you, Captain. But I’d appreciate the caffeine.” 

“Stay out of trouble,” Owen said with fake sternness. TK didn’t even have to look at him to know that he was trying not to crack a smile.

And with that, he and Officer Lovell were gone.

Carlos was the first to break the silence between them. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel like I should be asking you that.” TK reached out to grab the other’s hand. He smiled when Carlos didn’t flinch away from the touch, taking it as permission to interlock their knuckles.

“Well I’m asking. How’s your head?”

“It hurts but it’s nothing I can’t handle,” TK says, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head with his other hand, running it over the bandage before shifting the attention back onto Carlos. “How about you? They really did a number on you.”

“I honestly can’t feel much of it. Painkillers.” Carlos turned his head to look closer at the other.

“Do they have you on the good stuff?”

“Definitely,” Carlos smiles, which TK can now realize is more of a loopy grin.

“Yeah, you’re not gonna like it when they wear off. It’ll hurt more than you realise.” The smaller man grimaced, a couple memories shoving their way to the front of his mind. He quickly pushed them back, leaning closer to Carlos.

“I’ll take my chances.”

TK smiled and shook his head. He sighed, taking in Carlos’ currently disheveled appearance. He could see now, under the harsh hospital lighting, the extent of the damage Carlos went through. Despite the bandages, the IV, the monitors, Carlos looked incredibly drained. He had likely been interrogated as soon as he woke up, and despite how nice his partner was, that was still a stressful and overwhelming situation to be in. “Carlos?”

“Hmm?”

“Why didn’t you tell your partner about the kids?”

Carlos sighed, looking away from TK and down at his lap. “I couldn’t let them ruin their lives like that.”

“Carlos, they tried to kill you,” TK said, trying not to let the emotion slip through in his voice but it still came through. He wondered how Carlos could manage to still view this in a positive light when he was nearly killed right in front of TK.

“They’re kids, TK. If they got caught they would never have the chance to live their lives like they should.”

“Carlos-”

“No, TK,” Carlos quickly cut him off. “I’m the one they almost killed. It’s my decision to keep them out of this, you need to respect that.”

“I do. I just worry about you,” TK sighed, gingerly squeezing Carlos’ hand.

Carlos squeezed back. “I know you do. We’re constantly worrying about each other, and I doubt that’s going to change anytime soon. But I’m glad you’re okay.” 

“Me too.”

They exchange smiles, letting the moment rest in silence before Carlos spoke up again. “How much do you think the nurses will want to strangle us if you climb in this bed with me? I want to hold you after everything last night. I think I deserve it.”

“You definitely deserve it, but that doesn’t make it a viable option. I wasn’t even allowed to walk here and,” TK waved his hand in Carlos’ direction, “your body has been through a lot, I’m not sure it needs to be put through more strain. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“That’s so unfair,” Carlos pouted, drawing his eyebrows together. He tried to pull his hand from TK’s, but the other squeezed a little harder. He gently smiled at Carlos, narrowing his eyes playfully. 

“When you’re healed we can have all the cuddles you want,” TK offered, trying not to laugh at Carlos’ pout.

Carlos lifted his hand from TK’s to cradle his jaw, running his thumb along his boyfriend’s cheek. “I’m really glad you’re okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> title: sleeping at last - the projectionist
> 
> [tumblr](https://firefighterstrand.tumblr.com/)


End file.
